The sky’s mood used to be caught in the water of the lake. When the clouds subsided, the lake was also black. The blue water of the Lake filled with Autumn used to splash in the ghat. To maintain the natural balance of the city of Kolkata, houses and shops have been built one by one after the lake dug by Maharaja Yogendra Narayan of Jiaganj, Murshidabad. It blocked the way out of monsoon water, drainage problems have also started. Residents claim that there was no result despite informing the administrator. Recently, a written complaint was given to the Lalgola BLRO office by the ‘Watershed Protection Committee’ of Murshidabad district regarding the filling of the pond at a stone throw distance from the Lalgola police station in the heart of the city.
Almost everywhere in the state of West Bengal there are such complaints about cutting of soil. It is alleged that soil smuggling has been going on freely for years in the areas like Shashan, Kharibari, Phalti, Rajarhat of North 24 Parganas. According to local sources, many people have been killed in the area over the past few years, many of whom were directly or indirectly involved in the soil business. Due to the unplanned cutting of soil, the villages around the tributary river of Vidyadhari overflowed the bank of Vidyadhari in the last monsoon.
MLA’s comment
Barasat district police claim that after many attempts, control over soil smuggling has been brought. Local MLA Haji Nurul Islam said, “The police have been asked to be active so that the previous situation does not return. If there is anything illegal, we will inform the police as soon as we get the information. Illegal cutting of soil will not be tolerated in any way.” According to a senior district police official, “Currently only government-designated agencies are getting permission to cut soil.”
But once permission is obtained, there is an example in Malda of how the soil mafia uses it. In Lakshmipur Gram Panchayat area of Kaliachak Third block, the land revenue department allows cutting of soil in the Ganga for one to two months, but it is found that at least four to five times more than the amount of soil supposed to be cut has been cut and smuggled. Last year in Lakshmipur, the land reform department and the police conducted a joint operation and fined around 5.5 lakh rupees. Even after that till the water of Ganges rises, the soil is cut.
Conclusion
What is done with that soil? In different areas of the district including Engrezbazar city, the soil taken from the river is also used for filling the wetlands. Houses are being constructed by draining swamps in Chatra Beel area of the city. It is alleged that the character of the land has also been changed in the papers. Malda Additional District Commissioner (Land Revenue) Shampa Hazra, however, said, “Action is taken when there are complaints of illegal cutting of land.”